It's almost here: The Sun's guide to the 100 best bars in the Baltimore area.
Though the final list and the rankings won't be published until later this Fall, here are 80 bars and clubs you can count on being included on our Going Out Guide.
Idle Hour, Mt. Royal Tavern, Max's are among them. There are even some new bars, like Red House Tavern and Frisco Tap House in the mix.
This year's list is different from the much-discussed round-up we published last year. For starters, there are 100 bars and clubs in all, twice as many as last year. Also: Instead of ranking the top 50 bars, we've arranged them into eight categories - like best club to go dancing, and best after work happy hour.
And, the list's been expanded to include the areas surrounding Baltimore, so that there are bars included from as far away as Gaithersburg and Annapolis.
The 80 clubs and bars below fall into one of eight categories on the bar guide. Twenty others will show up on the list of critic's and readers' picks.
We won't be revealing the categories, the rankings, or the critic's and readers' picks until later this Fall, but we wanted to give you a primer to hear your thoughts.
What categories would you assign to some of these bars?
Baltimore's best:
The 8X10
Alonso’s
Arcos
Bad Decisions
Baltimore Taphouse
The Bay Cafe
Birds of a Feather
Bourbon Street
Brannan’s
The Brewer's Art
Cancun Cantina
Cat’s Eye Pub
Charles Village Tavern
Club Hippo
Dead Freddie’s
Dionysus
Down the Hatch
Dubai
Eden’s Lounge
Elliott's Pour House
Explorers Lounge
Frisco Tap House
The Get Down
Golden West Cafe
Grand Cru
Growlers in Gaithersburg
The Hill
Holy Frijoles
Howl at the Moon
Idle hour
J. Patrick’s
James Joyce Tavern
Jiggs in Pigtown
Joe Squared
Judge’s Bench
Kloby’s
The Laughing Pint
Leon’s
Liam Flynn’s Ale House
Lithuanian Hall
Luckie’s Tavern
Mad River
Magerks
Mahaffeys
Maisey’s
Marquee Lounge
Max’s
Metro Gallery
Metropolitan
Mick O’Shea’s
Midtown Yacht Club
The Midway
Milan
Mosaic
Mother’s
Mt Washington Tavern
Mt. Royal Tavern
Nevin’s
One-Eyed Mike’s
The Ottobar
The Paradox
Pazo
Pickles Pub
The Place
Pop's Tavern
Ra Sushi
Racers
Rams Head Live and Rams Head on Stage
Red Maple
Rocket to Venus
Rodos
Ropewalk Tavern
Sean Bolan
The Sidebar
Tiki Barge
Turps
Victoria Gastro Pub
Vino Rosina
The Windup Space